Nothing is free
by Fatal Overdose
Summary: They had forgotten how weak Jack was in comparison.


"Ha ha ha!" Jack laughed as he touched down on the ground a foot away from the Shen Gong Wu. "How's it going, Xiaolin losers?" He sneered, picking up the object. "Looks like I win again!"

The artifact this time had been located in a wooded area, a_crack'_nd up until a few seconds ago it had been sitting on a rock of some sort in a large clearing.

"Not so fast, Jack Spicer!" Omi shouted. He and the other monks came to a stop a little ways away.

"Yeah, you think we're just going to let you get another Wu?" Raimundo stood by his friends, arms crossed in his usual pose.

"I _think_ you don't have a choice. JackBots, attack!" From somewhere behind the evil goth rose up several of his gold and black robots, who immediately opened fire on the four warriors.

**_They had forgotten._**

The bots were taken out almost instantly, just like every other time. The monks turned, expecting to see Jack flying off, newest artifact still in his grasp as he laughed evilly. Instead the boy struggled with his helipack, muttering curses as it failed to start.

He should have just dropped the Wu and fled, but instead he took off his malfunctioning device and threw it towards his adversaries in a brief fit of anger.

Of course, they moved out of the way, and the machine clattered to the ground harmlessly. Raimundo charged towards the albino, jumping into the air and kicking him directly in the stomach.

Jack released his grip on the magical item. The force of the blow sent him flying into a nearby tree where he hit and bounced off with a disturbing '_crack'_. He sat there, dazed, coughing as he tried to regain his breath.

**_How weak Jack was in comparison to them._**

He was soon breathing rapidly and shallowly, and he didn't move. This wasn't right. Normally the boy would have jumped up at first chance, running into the surrounding area, probably screaming much like a girl.

Kimiko was the first to move. "Jack?" she asked, stepping forward hesitantly, "Are you alright?"

Then Omi. "Jack Spicer. Get up so this battle may continue!"

Jack had feared pain and death his whole life, going to extreme lengths to avoid being hurt or killed, tossing away loyalty in favor of self-preservation. Now that something had actually happened, he was deadly calm, a sharp contrast to the way the genius acted on a normal basis.

The news was delivered with the same precision and emotionlessness as Chase Young disposing of an enemy. "I can't feel my legs." He said, looking at them with a face utterly devoid of expression. Not even a hint of panic at the realization that he would now be crippled for life. He was even paler than normal, and his lips had a slight bluish tint to them.

He was paralyzed, and going into shock.

**_How Jack had nobody to learn from._**

The monks were suddenly a blur of motion. There was no way an ambulance could arrive in the middle of a forest, and the chances of even a helicopter were slim being so far out of the way, so they did the only thing that they could do. Clay and Raimundo hurried over to where he lay and carried the boy to where Dojo was waiting. On the way there, Kimiko held his hand. She was crying a little, and kept telling Jack everything was going to be fine.

Jack barely registered anything. He vaguely remembered arriving at the hospital, and people were running around screaming at the sight of five teenagers on a giant green dragon.

At that point, he may have passed out, because the next thing he knew, he was laying in some sterile, cliche hospital bed, feeling powerless. It was poetic justice of sorts, he felt weak, so he tried to take over the world with the help of the Shen Gong Wu, and while retrieving one, he becomes completely helpless. Ha ha. Very funny.

His parents didn't visit him, of course. They were on vacation, too busy enjoying themselves to worry about their hospitalized son. The only people who came to see him were the monks. Over time, they developed sort of an awkward friendship, although Pedrosa winced every time he walked into the same room, no doubt blaming himself for the whole incident.

It was sort of nice. Having friends, that is. Too bad he had to trade something for the privilege.

**_How nothing in life is__ free. _**

**I sort of fixed it. Erm, sorry, but I think I'll leave it there. I had meant to mark it as complete, but again, posted it at four AM.**


End file.
